U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 60 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 57% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $43,676. College Scorecard.
CAU Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Criminal Justice nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses CAU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $37,356 | $161,378 | 12.0 years |
| $30–48k | $39,270 | $169,646 | 12.6 years |
| $48–75k | $39,009 | $168,519 | 12.5 years |
| $75–110k | $39,514 | $170,700 | 12.6 years |
| $110k+ | $38,680 | $167,098 | 12.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (34% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates 4 years after graduating ($47,012) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,496 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Criminal Justice at Georgia colleges
Every Georgia college we cover that reports Criminal Justice graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer University | $71,602 | $46,775 | $23,847 | 70% |
| 2 | Herzing University-Atlantabachelor's & associate | $69,601 | $28,399 | $21,679 | 14% |
| 3 | Reinhardt University | $67,847 | $27,475 | $24,425 | 44% |
| 4 | Thomas University | $61,295 | $45,464 | $18,499 | 28% |
| 5 | University of North Georgia | $57,813 | $22,363 | $9,823 | 37% |
| 6 | Shorter University | $56,677 | $30,817 | $16,646 | 38% |
| 7 | Kennesaw State University | $55,033 | $26,000 | $15,048 | 52% |
| 8 | Georgia State University | $52,857 | $26,812 | $15,931 | 53% |
| 9 | Middle Georgia State University | $52,719 | $30,500 | $12,361 | 25% |
| 10 | Georgia Southern University | $52,398 | $32,375 | $15,267 | 55% |
| 11 | Georgia College & State University | $52,062 | $25,000 | $20,686 | 64% |
| 12 | Savannah State University | $51,430 | $33,875 | $8,172 | 28% |
| 13 | University of Georgia | $50,717 | $22,978 | $13,936 | 90% |
| 14 | Augusta University | $50,254 | $30,299 | $13,787 | 49% |
| 15 | Columbus State University | $49,956 | $31,000 | $13,115 | 42% |
| 16 | Albany State University | $49,310 | $31,000 | $11,898 | 31% |
| 17 | Atlanta Metropolitan State Collegemostly 2-year | $48,543 | $26,529 | $5,258 | 17% |
| 18 | Dalton State College | $48,341 | $10,550 | $5,012 | 25% |
| 19 | Clayton State University | $47,627 | $31,000 | $8,365 | 40% |
| 20 | Clark Atlanta University | $47,012 | $27,000 | $37,702 | 49% |
| 21 | Valdosta State University | $46,593 | $27,250 | $10,945 | 42% |
| 22 | Fort Valley State University | $45,033 | $34,625 | $10,338 | 41% |
| 23 | College of Coastal Georgia | $44,274 | $15,500 | $15,261 | 26% |
| 24 | Piedmont University | $43,125 | — | $20,599 | 47% |
8 more Georgia colleges offer Criminal Justice but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Criminal Justice graduates
Police officer
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.5% by 2035. Typical entry: high school diploma or equivalent.
Compliance Officers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at CAU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About CAU
- Acceptance rate: 64% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 49% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $42,712
- Full cost breakdown · all 29 majors · overview
CAU Criminal Justice questions
How much do CAU Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of Clark Atlanta University earn a median $47,012 four years after graduating and $27,715 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do CAU Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Clark Atlanta University is $27,000, about 57% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is CAU a good school for Criminal Justice in Georgia?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Clark Atlanta University earn $47,012 four years out, $4,062 below the median for the same major across 24 Georgia colleges ($51,074) and $8,196 below the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does CAU rank for Criminal Justice in Georgia?
Of 24 Georgia colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Clark Atlanta University ranks 20th; among the 22 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 18th. The highest is Mercer University at $71,602.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $60,910 in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA area and $76,210 nationally. Others include compliance officers and child, family, and school social workers.
Is CAU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing CAU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Clark Atlanta University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/clark-atlanta-university/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).